Creative Food Packaging Ideas to Escalate Your Restaurant

We all have those days when we crave lip-smacking food to be delivered right at our doorstep.

Delightfully, many meal delivery kit services and restaurants are ready to fulfill their dreams.

But poor food packaging often ruins the entire experience, right?

Let this not happen with your restaurant. Here’s why innovative food packaging is important to make your restaurant business stand out in today’s competitive marketplace.

Importance Of Food Packaging for Restaurants

Imagine the disappointment you experience when you order your favorite sushi and it arrives warm. Or that hot soup delivered cold. Even worse, the packaging comes as a mess, with the food spilled all over. The wrong food packaging can make the meal less enjoyable and appetizing!

The way you package the food to deliver to your customers speaks tons about your restaurant business. Innovative food packaging design is an integral element of branding, creating a strong impression on your customers about the value you deliver.

Not to mention, food packaging protects the food from contamination and also helps keep the food at the right temperature – delivered fresh and delicious every time.

And trust us – food packaging can help build excellent associations between you and your audience. Your restaurant cooks delicious food. And when it combines with fantastic packaging, you win half the battle already.

Packaging is a powerful selling tool, especially for the restaurant business. According to psychology,

“…attractive packaging design motivates people to make impulsive choices, bypasses reflective thought and leaves the purchaser with a feeling of having been rewarded. That’s a powerful impact.”

Leverage this opportunity and deliver an enhanced customer experience to strengthen your brand and make it stand out.

Here’s how…

Unique Food Packaging Ideas for Your Restaurant or Food Delivery Business

Find out some creative packaging ideas for food that can take the overall meal experience to a different level altogether.

Storytelling Package

Customize your food packaging in a way that connects to people directly. Take advantage of the festivals and the emotions people have with them to design your food packages innovatively.

For instance, design your food bags with customized festival designs like Christmas, Wedding Raksha Bandhan, etc. You can also use other themes like Halloween Packaging.

Biodegradable Packaging

Eco-friendly packaging creates value for your brand and attracts more customers who believe in saving the environment. Investing in eco-friendly packaging can thus be a wise decision. You are not just doing your part to save the environment but also attracting loyal customers. Further, you also spread the message for other restaurant owners to follow and save the environment.
An example of eco-friendly food packaging is cardboard boxes or carton packaging.

Functional Package

Functional packaging can be innovative, fun, and user-friendly simultaneously. You can surprise your customers with some friendly innovations in your food packaging to make them smile and improve their food experience.

For example, you can serve french fries or churros with a container attached to the ketchup package. It makes the design more creative and easy to use for customers.

Secondly, a coffee box with a shelf for doughnuts is attached. It makes the packaging fun and handy. Customers can eat doughnuts easily while sipping their favorite coffee in between.

Thirdly, a coffee container with functional cartoon characters is designed that changes the position or when customers rotate the lid. It is fun for kids and adults simultaneously. You can also convey a short message or story using this interesting way.

Seed Infused Package

Another eco-friendly packaging idea is a plantable package or a seed-infused food package. The best way to reduce the waste from packaging is to make them biodegradable and plantable.

Instead of throwing your food package in the garbage, plant it in your garden for the new blossoms. You can offer a variety of seed paper products, for example, flowers, herbs, vegetables, etc.

Such plantable packaging is not just eco-friendly but also profitable for customers and a great way to attract people who are fond of gardening or farming.

Customizable box

Products with scalability rule the business market, and food packaging is not an exception. Creative tailor-made boxes can do wonders in marketing and making your product/services popular. Users, with customized box packing, would feel privileged and personal and thus it will make them loyal to your brand. For instance, a food pack for a birthday party could be customized using kids’ stickers and colorful wrapping of packets. Also, it is possible to label the boxes with the names they want.

It is also possible to modify the design of the box and customize it according to the needs of the users. For example, the food items or dishes that often go hand-in-hand could be packed together. Say, the box for French fries can have a provision to hold a cold drink can or pack.

Out-of-the-box Package

Customers always look for out-of-the-box ideas and services. Food packaging can be a great way to brainstorm and come up with some unusual ideas.

One such innovative idea is serving your Pizza in a Pizza box that turns into a Projector. It is a well-thought concept. People don’t like to cook on weekends and enjoy watching Netflix or their favorite movies while having delicious cheesy Pizza.

So, why not make it a blast for them? Serve the Pizza with a Projector box, enabling them to enjoy their movie or show on a big screen. They just have to follow a few simple steps, and they can turn the Pizza box into a Projector.

Minimalistic packaging

Minimalistic packaging is a new trend adopted by most citizens in urban settings due to its simplicity yet attractive attributes. The packaging looks neat and clean; on top of that it is economical and environmentally pleasing. Opposite to overpackaging, minimalistic design, and packaging are even appreciated and encouraged by local governments. In fact, most customers today appreciate the brands’ societal responsibilities.

Personalized packaging

When taking orders in bulk, personalized packaging could do wonders in improving your brand value. It reflects that you care for your customers and want them forever. On the other hand, customers feel valued and would rejoice in your customized food packet boasting among their friends and guests. Personalized packages of food could spread the good word about your services and products and customers are likely to preserve the packet which, in turn, is a good marketing strategy for online restaurants.

Reusable packaging

Not only does reusable packaging encourage customers to use the packet or container again but also contributes to saving Mother Nature. Reusable food packaging for restaurants are the best choice as patrons are suggested not to dispose containers and use them for various purposes such as filling grocery items or simply using them as a container for other stuff. Reusable packaging would make your restaurant look unique and creative and thus will help grabbing more people’s eyes.

Hanger Package

You can use creative packaging to make the food experience even better for the users. The food packaging is meant to keep the food safe in transit for users. It should make it easier for them to organize their food plates and also easier to eat.

One such example of creative food packaging can be packing sushi or noodles in a box with chopsticks as the handle. The chopsticks are sturdy to hold the package and also give an authentic Chinese feel.

One more charming example can be to pack the different chutneys or sausages in tiny t-shirt-shaped polybags with a hanger. It’s an excellent way to enable users to take out the required amount of sausage they want and hang the remaining chutney or sausage back. It saves from any spillage or leakage, making the food experience of customers mess-free.

Choose the Right Packaging Material

The success of an innovative food packaging design begins with using the right materials. The choice of food package material should depend on the type of food you deliver.

For instance, Styrofoam provides excellent insulation, keeping the food fresh and in its optimum temperatures for a long. Similarly, plastic is durable and prevents spillage or leakage when packed properly.

However, both Styrofoam and plastic are mostly non-biodegradable and are not good eco-friendly packaging ideas for food. On the other hand, cardboard and paper are biodegradable and great for the brand because they are easy to print on.

But they are not an ideal option to pack wet foods and can turn mushy. Furthermore, it does not provide good insulation.

The best option is to determine your food delivery needs and create custom packaging that suits your requirements. Use modern, biodegradable Styrofoam substitutes, tree-free recyclable containers or disposable bamboo, or compostable containers made of sugarcane or corn.

Using reusable and recyclable packaging materials ensures an improved meal experience for your customers. But at the same time, it also helps build a strong brand impression about your efforts towards environment-friendliness.

Evoke Emotions by Integrating Colors Meaningfully

Colors play an integral role in the best food packaging design. It is extremely effective in capturing your customer’s attention.

However, do not copy what your competitors are doing. Try color options that are visually appealing and attention-grabbing, but stand out from others.

Use color combinations that trigger the emotional associations you want your customers to have with your food.

Most importantly, the colors should help reinforce the brand impression.

Add an Innovative Touch That Adds Value

Adding a twist can make even simple food packaging ideas more unique and interesting. This way, you can gain a competitive advantage for your restaurant business.

For instance, if you offer takeaway food, adding a spoon/chopstick holder to the container can be a simple addition, but a remarkable game-changer.

Put more thought and curate unique packaging ideas for food to make the entire experience more rewarding and hassle-free for your customers.

Edible Packaging Can Work Wonders

Want to do something quirky and out-of-the-box that will make your customers come back to you again and again?

Try edible packaging ideas.

For instance, you can use edible wrappers for your burgers and sandwiches. Or if you offer take-out beverages, how about adding sugar straws?

Earlier Starbucks tried this packaging idea, which became extremely hit with the customers. You can apply the same for your food delivery business too. To walk the extra mile, you can also add edible takeaway cutleries.

The only problem with edible packaging is it can be much costlier than standard packaging. However, if you have the budget and focus on sustainability, it can be an innovative food packaging design to make you stand out.

Use Food Packaging for Brand Communication

When used intelligently, packaging can do much more than telling your customers where the food came from.

Your food packaging will communicate with hundreds of people. It will be a missed opportunity if you do not use this opportunity to promote your brand.

You can use food packaging to communicate your message – your brand story, a logo and punchline, thanksgiving, or even a special note.

However, keep it simple and minimalist. The brand message you integrate should be inspiring, fun, or thoughtful. On the sides of bags and cups, consider adding simple stories that can help communicate your brand, your values, and your culture.

Consider Seasonal Packaging

To stand out in the crowd, you do not want your food packaging to feel boring or repetitive. This is especially true if you specialize in homemade food, competing with mega-brands with huge marketing dollars.

A way to stand out is by using homemade food packaging ideas that focus on seasons. For instance, you can have one packaging design for spring, one for summer, one for fall, and one for winter.

If you have the budget and creativity, try simple materials for seasonal packaging. It also works wonders as a food gift packaging ideas.

Read Also: Creative interiors design ideas for cafes to increase footfall

Tips for Perfect Food Packaging

How do you ensure your food packaging is as good as the meal inside? Good food packaging is very important to deliver a great experience to your customers in food delivery. Investing in high-quality packaging and tips ensures your food arrives hot without spillage.

Use Sturdy Containers to Avoid Leakage

Use sturdy and good-quality food boxes for all your food packaging. If you use plastic containers, ensure they are safe for storing food items and at least 300 microns in thickness. You can also use environment-friendly, biodegradable boxes.

Avoid Overstuffing the Packages

From gravy to soups, tea to coffee, liquids are likely to spill when filled to the brim. Always keep some space free at the top of your box to avoid any mishaps in transit or when customers are eagerly unpacking the food.

Seal Boxes with Tapes

Seal all the food boxes adequately with tapes around the lid well so that the food arrives at the customer’s place intact with no spillage. Tilt the box slightly after applying the tape to check for spills.

Label Your Food Packages

Ensure all food boxes are labeled with the food dish names and with veg and non-veg stickers. It is important in the case of a dish with multiple components like noodles with multiple toppings, salads with dressing, etc.

Keep Your Containers in a carry bag

Place all the food containers in a carry bag with a wide bottom. Ensure to place all containers upright with heavy containers at the bottom. Place hot and cool items in separate bags and use paper bags with strong handles.

Conclusion

There are numerous creative and interesting food packaging ideas for your restaurant to stand out. Leverage these ideas to be distinct, while focusing on practicality and aesthetics.